The Christmas prior to starting therapy at Pine Rest, my daughter didn’t think she was worthy of living. That year, we both cried the entire way to our family gathering.
My daughter suffered from high anxiety and was very depressed. Previous therapy had not worked. She started seeing a therapist at Pine Rest who recommended Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT). I had no hesitation, but she felt sapped of the mental strength to begin another program. However, her condition only got worse, and she began to self-harm. Our lives changed drastically as I felt I could not leave her by herself.
My daughter spent a week at Pine Rest to stabilize. While painful for her at first, she then began attending weekly DBT sessions on an outpatient basis. Little by little, she gained comfort and confidence.
By the end of six months, I could see such a tremendous difference! My daughter even shared her empathy for the new kids coming into the sessions. She understood how much they did not want to be there but knew, if they kept coming, it would be worth it.
She gained new skills to help her deal with issues that would arise in her high school environment — one of the triggers for her depression. I also learned new skills to help and support her.
Throughout the summer she improved dramatically. She got her first job. She showed interest in things from which she would have turned away just a few months prior. By fall, she started college and was living on campus.
One day, during her holiday break, I came home from work to find that she had decorated our Christmas tree and the entire house! We went shopping for presents and watched movies together. At one point, we spent an hour singing Christmas songs in crazy voices as loud as we could.
My heart was full and is full to this day because she continues to thrive.
Your gift today to the Patient Assistance Fund will help other children get the treatment they desperately need. DBT saved her life. It saved mine as well.
Thank you,
A Grateful Mother
The Pine Rest Foundation provides Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services with financial resources and community support by generating philanthropic gifts for the Patient Assistance Fund, the Pine Rest Foundation Endowment, and for special projects.
To see more patient stories, to find upcoming events and learn how you can get involved, visit www.pinerest.org/foundation.
